News

Orthoptics Awareness Week 2017 – ‘Orthoptics Australia Wide’

MEDIA RELEASE

Orthoptics Awareness Week (OAW) is an important event in the Orthoptics Australia calendar each year. This year it will be held between Monday 27 February to Friday 3 March 2017.

This year the theme is ‘Orthoptics Australia Wide’. The aim of this week is to increase the awareness of Orthoptics to the public as well as other health professionals. We want to highlight the fact Orthoptists live and work all over Australia and are multi skilled in their roles and work in a variety of settings to help people with a range of eye conditions and diseases. Each day will feature a different Australian state and present some interesting facts and feature an Orthoptist profile from that state.

Whilst not many people know what an Orthoptist is, many have been helped by one!

We are continually aiming to educate the public about Orthoptics and eye health in general. We have so many good news stories to share! Orthoptists are involved with vision impaired children and adults, some are on the team developing the Bionic Eye, others are working with cutting edge technology in the fight against age-related macular degeneration….the list goes on!

Help celebrate and promote Orthoptics Awareness Week 2017 by following Orthoptics Australia on social media via Facebook, Instagram and Twitter and by using the hashtag #OAW2017. Please also find attached the OAW logo and advertising poster.

What is an Orthoptist?

Orthoptists are eye healthcare professionals who are university trained to assess and treat patients with eye disorders. Orthoptists are uniquely skilled in ophthalmic diagnostic services and specialise in children’s vision, eye movement disorders and low vision care to name a few, working across a range of settings including hospitals, private specialist practices and research centres.

There are currently two university courses in Australia that provide Orthoptic education; La Trobe University in Melbourne and The University of Technology in Sydney. The Orthoptics profession boasts among the highest education standards world-wide, with Australia recognised as being the first country to offer a University Bachelor Degree program in Orthoptics.

Orthoptics Australia

Orthoptics Australia is the national professional body that promotes and advances the science and practice of Orthoptics and advocates in the interest of members of the profession.